Modular cabinets with portable stand mount

ABSTRACT

Cabinet modules are readily attached and removed from selected attachment parts on a vertical support to provide customized portable storage and instrument mounting. Drawers may be accommodated within a module. A lock on a single drawer can secure all other drawers and modules on one side of the vertical support. An uninterruptable power supply can be incorporated into an enclosed, ventilated module and located at an attachment point low on the vertical support to maintain a low center of gravity while supplying portable power to electronic instruments carried on the vertical support.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S.provisional applications serial Nos. 60/126,838, filed Mar. 30, 1999,and 60/134,436 filed May 17, 1999, which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are many work environments that require portable access totools, instruments, equipment and supplies as well as electronicsystems. A particularly demanding environment in which instruments andsupplies are regularly moved from place to place throughout the workday,is the hospital environment. Nurses and other health-care workers mustmove medical supplies from room to room as they treat differentpatients. In some cases the patients themselves require storage forpersonal belongings, and for patient-specific supplies, such asspecialized wound dressings. In addition, patients may require portableaccess to medical instruments such as IV pumps, heart monitors and thelike.

[0003] According to conventional practice, each distinct storage orinstrumentation need is dealt with separately, resulting in the multiplestorage containers or cabinets that must be independently pushed orcarried from room to room. In the example of a nursing professional, thenurse must load supplies into a toolkit or similar carrier. Since thetotal of supplies for a shift may exceed a weight that can easily becarried, the nurse must return to a central location to obtainadditional supplies throughout the shift. The additional trips arewasteful of worker time. The problem of excessive supplies is compoundedby the requirement for safe storage of used needles, catheters, and thelike, generally referred to as sharps. OSHA regulations and goodpractice require that these sharps be stored in a locked container.Existing solutions have failed to recognize these needs with acomprehensive solution.

[0004] Prior art portable cabinets are not easily adaptable to differingstorage requirements. For example, the requirements for storage by ashift nurse who serves a relatively small number of patients all on asingle floor in the hospital are markedly different from those of thenurse whose primary task is to take blood samples from the patientsthroughout the hospital. Still other considerations apply topatient-specific storage. A patient may require a wheeled stand which isnormally at the bedside in the hospital room. The stand may incorporatean IV pole for elevating bags of intravenous fluids above an IV pumpcarried on the stand. When it is necessary to transport that patient,for example for x-ray imaging, it is necessary to wheel the patient bedor gurney and stand together to another location in the hospital.Conventional IV stands have no provision for powering the medicalinstrumentation required by the patient as the stand and bed are wheeledfrom the patient room to the hospital x-ray department. Although mostmedical instrumentation incorporates backup batteries, it is very commonfor those batteries to become discharged while the patient is intransport or while awaiting a medical procedure such as x-ray imaging.An ideal stand for these circumstances would incorporate castoringwheels, provision for bed mounting and an uninterruptable power supply(UPS).

[0005] Against the divergent requirements of various needs for storage,locked storage, wheeled transport and future adaptability, the hospitaladministrator must weigh the cost of custom-designed cabinetry and theassociated cost of having to carry a large inventory of differentportable cabinets and storage of the cabinetry and stands of theoff-duty health-care worker. Storage room space is in short supply inhospitals, which typically already contain a number of wheeled standssuch as IV stands.

[0006] The examples of the hospital environment are also instructive asto the difficulties of portable cabinets used in other workenvironments, such as manufacturing, inspection and auto repair.

[0007] It is therefore desirable to have a portable stand and cabinetwith modular components that may be adapted to multiple storage andtransport requirements and where one or more of the drawers or otherstorage openings in the cabinet may be locked to limit access to thecontents to only authorized persons. Such a modular cabinet isparticularly desirable where it can be adapted to existing wheeledstands, and where a locking mechanism is provided that not only preventsaccess to specific drawers, but also prevents disassembly of the modularcabinetry from the stand except for those persons who have the key orcombination to a cabinet lock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention the deficiencies ofprior art transportable cabinets are resolved by providing a portablestand which is preferably wheeled and which incorporates a verticalsupport adapted to carry multiple modular cabinets, together with a pushhandle. The portable stand may also provide an elevated mounting forelectronic instruments and other electrically powered apparatus, such asportable computers. When used in the exemplary medical environment, theelectronic instruments may include IV pumps, heart monitors, respirationtherapy machines and virtually any other medical instrument that must betransported from room to room and from patient to patient. The stand mayincorporate a vertical pole extending outwardly from the push handle tosupport medical supplies including bags of intravenous fluids.

[0009] A stand mounting interface is provided which may be utilized tomount from the vertical supports of existing stands. For example, forstands with a vertical support that has a circular cross-section, eachinterface will have a part circular surface for engagement with thevertical support. Preferably the interface is provided in two partswhich may be clamped or otherwise fastened together to firmly grip thecentral pole of the stand and provide a firm mount for cabinets andother supported modular structures. Mounting channels are secured to theinterface plate and are spaced from the interface plate a sufficientdistance to allow an internal slider to reciprocate vertically withinthe mounting channel and to interfit with a face plate.

[0010] The mounting channel performs multiple functions which areaccommodated by spaced openings along the vertical extent of themounting channel. These openings allow for a cam operator to penetratethe mounting channel and engage the slider to reciprocate the slideragainst the action of compression springs. The cabinet module issupported by mounting hooks that are received in openings in themounting channel. The mounting channel also incorporates locking rodopenings to receive locking rods mounted on the rear face of selecteddrawers in cabinet modules. The locking rods have an enlarged end whichis received through the enlarged end of a keyhole-shaped opening in theslider. When the slider is moved to one extreme position, the narrowedend of the keyhole-shaped opening slides over the locking rod andthereby prevents the enlarged end of the locking rod from beingwithdrawn from the mounting channel. Selected drawers have a camoperator secured at the rear edge of the drawer. The camming surface ofthe operator presses against the slider to reciprocate the slider to theextreme of its travel where the locking rod's are captured by theirenlarged ends. Unless all of the drawers with cam operators in place areopen, the locking slider is not free to move under the bias of thecompression springs to move the enlarged portion of the keyhole intoregistration with the enlarged ends of the locking rods. Therefore thecabinet in which such drawers are located cannot be opened or removedfrom the mounting channel. In this way, a lock on a selected drawer canprevent all of the drawers and modules on one side of the stand frombeing removed. Only when all of the drawers with a locking rod(typically only the top- most drawer has a lock and lock rod) arepartially opened is it possible to remove the modules. This comes aboutbecause the locking rod openings in the mounting channel are notsufficiently larger than the locking rod. Therefore the cabinet modulecannot be lifted a sufficient distance to cause the support hooks toclear the mounting openings in the channel unless the drawer iswithdrawn a sufficient distance for the locking rod to completely clearthe mounting channel. The drawer cannot be opened if the drawer islocked. In this manner, a single lock on a single drawer can prevent theopening of any other drawer on that side of the stand which has alocking rod and can prevent the removal of any of the cabinet modules onthat side of the stand.

[0011] Although the a cabinet modules have been described in connectionwith modules that incorporate drawers, the modules may have virtuallyany other kind of front closure as well. One of the facilities of theinvention is particularly apparent where the lower-most cabinet isprovided with a closure which is attached by fasteners. The enclosedvolume thereby formed by the cabinet sides, top, bottom, and theremovable closure, provide an ideal electronics enclosure for anuninterruptable power supply (UPS). Water-resistant louvered vents maybe provided to provide adequate cooling to the electronic componentswithout exposing them to the risk of damage by spilled liquids. Bylocating the UPS module at the lower-most mounting position for modules,the UPS battery is located below the normal center of gravity of thestand, thereby further lowering the installed center of gravity, whichmakes it easy to push the stand without risk of upset. Sufficientbattery power can be housed in a single module to power multiple medicalinstruments far longer than is conventionally provided by their on-boardbackup batteries. Although other voltages may be provided, it isparticularly useful to provide AC line voltage (117 volts in the U.S.).This allows for providing a variety of instruments without specialadoption simply by plugging them into the line output of the UPS. Theline voltage output may desirably be routed out of the UPS module andinside the mounting channel in the space between the slider andinterface plate. In this way, the AC output of the UPS can supply amultiple outlet electrical box at approximately the level of the pushhandle (waist level for the operator). This permits a single line cordto the UPS to supply multiple instruments with uninterruptable AC byplugging them into the multiple outlet electrical box, without requiringthat the operator stoop to plug in multiple cords into multiple walloutlets. When desired, a module may provide DC power at predeterminedvoltages. Since different medical instruments have differing voltagerequirements, the modularity of the system is of significant value insupporting many different electronic instruments from a single storageand transport platform.

[0012] There is therefore provided a new and improved portable standmounting for modular cabinets that may be utilized to easily transportand store medical and other supplies and which may incorporate anuninterruptable power supply to expand the usable battery life of avariety of instruments. Since the cabinets are modular, theconfiguration of a stand may be customized to the particularrequirements of the operator, including providing cabinets with openstorage, drawers or closed modules housing electronic instruments suchas the UPS. The invention makes it possible to extend the use ofexisting wheeled stands (such as IV stands) which reduces the capitalcost and storage room space requirements of providing a portablecabinet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with anexemplary embodiment the invention is not limited thereby nor by theillustrated embodiment shown in the accompanying figures in which likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a typical cabinet andits support pole structure;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the assembled unit;

[0016]FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of the FIG.2;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showingthe drawers open; and

[0018]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, with the drawers closed andlocked.

[0019]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cabinet specifically adapted tohouse an uninterruptable power supply.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, there is illustrated anembodiment of the invention which shows the essential combination of theinvention including a cabinet module 10, a mounting segment 13 comprisedof a mounting channel 22, locking slider 20, and an interface plate 18which are mated to a vertical support (in this embodiment, a pole 14with a circular cross-section). In this case, the cabinet module isshown as having provision for drawer closures. Two drawers (a singledrawer 19 is illustrated) completely close the opened end of the cabinetmodule 10 with the top 11, bottom 13 and left and right sides 15 and 17.A foldout handle 9 may be utilized to convert the module to ahand-carried tool kit. The drawer 19 is shown to incorporate a rearpanel 21, sides 23 and 25 and front face 48. The rear panel 21 of thedrawer incorporates a channel recess 50 which mates with mating channel42 in the cabinet module and in turn with the various openings of themounting channel 22. Each drawer 19 has a pair of drawer support slides30 which cooperate with the cabinet channels 28. Conventional drawerroller slides (not shown) may be incorporated so that the drawers rollsmoothly as they are withdrawn from and pushed back into the cabinet.Drawer 19 is shown as being provided with a combination lock 44 whichcontrols the position of a lock tang 46. The tang 46 cooperates with theface flange 27 on the cabinet 10 to prevent the drawer 19 from beingwithdrawn when the locking tang is in the position illustrated. Thechannel recess 50 optionally incorporates a slider operator 52 andlocking pin 56 which will be better understood from the discussion ofFIG. 4.

[0021] The basic functioning of the invention is that the mountingchannel 22 and locking slider 20 provide openings which selectivelyengage the mounting hooks, module locking and drawer locking features.As will be discussed more fully hereinafter, when a drawer 19 is fullyinserted, the slider operator 52 protrudes through the slider operatoropening 24 in mating channel 42. At the same time the locking rod 56(see FIG. 5) on a drawer so equipped extends through the locking rodopening 29 and the channel rod opening 36 into the keyhole opening 40 inthe locking slider 20. The slider operator 52 cooperates with the loweredge of the operator follower opening 38 in the locking slider 20 toreciprocate the slider downwardly and thereby force the narrow end ofthe keyhole opening 40 into engagement with the locking rod 56 toprevent the withdrawal of that drawer until the lock 44 is operated toallow the controlling drawer to be withdrawn slightly. The action ofwithdrawing the drawer allows springs (to be discussed in conjunctionwith FIG. 4) to return the locking slider to the position where theenlarged opening is in registration with the locking rods and thereforea drawer with a locking rod 56 can be withdrawn from its fully closedposition.

[0022]FIG. 1 also illustrates the relationship between the pairedinterface plates 16 and 18. When mated, the two interface platessurround the support pole 14 and conform to its shape (circular in theexample). In other installations, interface plates may have engagementsurfaces that are part rectangular, oval, or square in cross-section tomate to differently shaped support poles. The interface plates 16 and 18incorporate slider engagement flanges 31 which guide the locking slider20 as it reciprocates.

[0023] In FIG. 2, two interface plates are assembled to the pole 14 withonly the mounting channels 22 being visible after assembly. Two cabinetmodules 10 are mounted on opposite sides of the support pole 14 witheach incorporating two drawers 19.

[0024] In FIG. 3, the relationship is illustrated between the mountingchannel 22, a mating recess 42 in a cabinet module, and the channelrecess 50 in drawer 19. The drawer illustrated incorporates a slideroperator 52 which protrudes through the slider operator opening 24 inthe cabinet module 10 and a channel operator opening 32 in the mountingchannel 22. This allows the slider operator 52 to contact the cammingsurface (of the lower edge of opening 38) of the slider 20. Alsoillustrated are the fastener sets 43 which secure the interface plates16 and 18 together into a pole gripping configuration. It will beunderstood that where cabinet modules are to be provided on both sidesof the vertical support, that mounting channels and sliders would beprovided on the mounting channel 16 as well.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 4, the manner in which the cabinet modules10 cooperate with drawers 19 is illustrated. The uppermost drawer 19 isprovided with a combination or key lock (see FIG. 1). The rear face 21of the upper drawer 19 mounts a slider operator 52. The slider operator52 has a sloping cam surface 54. With drawer 19 fully inserted, the camsurface 54 protrudes through the slider opening 24 and the mountingchannel operator opening 32 so that it can engage the lower edge of theoperator follower opening 38 on slider 20. Upon full insertion the upperdrawer 19 forces the slider vertically downwardly against the action ofcompression springs 60.

[0026] Lower drawer 19 is fitted with a locking rod 56 which has anenlarged end which may suitably be created by attaching a lockengagement washer 58 with a washer retention bolt 59. The washer 58 issized to fit through the locking rod opening 29 in the mating channeland the channel rod opening 36 in the mounting channel. The washer willalso fit through the enlarged end opening of the keyhole opening 40 inthe slider 20. However when the upper drawer 19 is fully inserted itreciprocates the slider downwardly so the narrow end of the keyholeopening 40 fits tightly around the locking rod 56 and prevents theenlarged end formed by the lock engagement washer 58 from fittingthrough the opening, thereby capturing the drawer.

[0027] In the illustrated configuration the slider has six keyholeopenings so that if two drawer cabinet modules are utilized, and threemodules stacked on a side of the support pole, then a single lock iscapable of locking a total of six drawers. It should also be noted thatwhenever any drawer in a cabinet module is captured by the lockingslider it is also not possible to remove the module from the mountingchannel. This is prevented because the module mount hooks 26 cannot belifted clear of the module mount openings 34 because the verticalmovement is prevented by the engagement of the locking rod 56 with thelocking slider and by the limitation of substantial vertical movement ofthe locking rods 56 in the channel rod opening 36.

[0028] Referring now to FIG. 5, the locking engagement caused by a fullof insertion of drawers with cam operators 52 and locking rods 56 isillustrated. The engagement of the locking operator cam surface 54 hasdriven the slider 20 vertically so that the keyhole opening 40 inregistration with the locking rod 56 has been driven to where thenarrowed end of the keyhole opening has captured the enlarged end(washer 58) of the locking rod 56 to prevent the withdrawal of the lowerdrawer 19 so long as the upper drawer 19 is locked in the closedposition. At the same time the position of the slider 20 and therelatively limited freedom of movement within the channel rod opening 36prevents removal of the module 10 by preventing the vertical lifting ofthe module 10 such that the hooks 26 cannot be lifted clear of themodule mount openings 34.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 6, another type of cabinet module isillustrated. In the specific example illustrated, the cabinet is anelectronic enclosure especially adapted for incorporating anuninterruptable power supply (UPS) with its associated electronics andbattery components. However, it will be understood the other moduletypes including open bays, full height drawers, and specific closurescan be provided within the scope of the invention.

[0030] In the illustrated configuration, the UPS cabinet module 66 isclosed by a fastener attached faceplate 67. The flanges 69 on thecabinet face 67 mount threaded receptacles 62 for receiving bolts fromthe exterior of the cabinet. This allows service access to the UPSwithout the necessity of removing the cabinet module from a stand. Therear of the cabinet module 66 incorporates mounting hooks 26 and alocking pin 56 as in other cabinet modules. However instead of a camoperator, a power conduit 60 exits the cam operator opening 24. Thisconduit 60 may be fed through the channel operator opening 32 in themounting channel 22, and the operator follower opening 38 in the slider20 to permit the cable to be received in the recess formed by theinterface plate (see FIG. 3). In this way, power may be delivered fromthe cabinet module 66 located at the lowermost portion of the stand to aconvenient height on the stand where a multiple output outlet box can bemounted and various electronic equipment plugged in. This allows asingle electrical cord from the cabinet 66 to power multiple instrumentson the stand and to provide uninterruptable power while the stand isbeing transported or during an interruption in line current. The louvers64 provide passive ventilation to the interior of the cabinet. Thesloping upper surfaces of the louvers deflect water or other liquidsthat might be spilled on the cabinet to prevent the entry of the liquidinto the interior of the cabinet where it might damage sensitiveelectronic components. The ability to locate the cabinet module 66 atthe lowermost portion on the stand makes it possible to locate the UPSat the lowest part of the stand. The UPS will typically be the heaviestelectronic component carried on the stand, particularly because of thebattery capacity provided. By locating the UPS module below the ordinarycenter of gravity of the stand, the UPS further lowers the as-installedcenter of gravity. The lowered center of gravity makes it easier to pushthe stand without a tendency for the stand to upset. This ability toposition components optimally and flexibly is one out of the directbenefits of the flexible mounting and lock operators provided by theinvention. The mounting system of the invention has special advantageswhen used with critical electronic instruments and systems such as aUPS. The nature of the connectors utilized insures that the UPS will bemounted upright and that the louvers will function as intended becausethe module cannot be installed inverted.

Having described our invention, we now claim:
 1. A cabinet mount formounting at least one cabinet module onto a vertical support comprising:an elongated channel having an engagement surface and at least onemounting surface; at least one cabinet module having spaced sidesdefining a storage volume; at least one face plate having a widthsubstantially corresponding in size to the distance between said spacedsides of said cabinet module; said cabinet module and said mountingchannel having cooperating hooks and openings to allow said cabinetmodule to be supported from said mounting channel.
 2. A cabinet modulefor mounting on a vertical support comprising a cabinet module definingat least a partially enclosed volume; a rear-mounted mating channelextending through the entire vertical extent of said module, said modulehaving at least one releasable connector part in said channel; amounting channel received on a vertical support and sized to be receivedwithin said mating channel and adapted to support said cabinet module byengagement with said releasable connector.
 3. A portable cabinet andsupport comprising: a stand with an elongated vertical support; anelongated slider mounted for vertical reciprocation on said verticalsupport and having a plurality of vertically spaced openings throughsaid slider; at least one cabinet module supported from said verticalsupport; at least one drawer in said module, said drawer incorporating alocking protrusion; said protrusion extending through said slider whensaid drawer is fully closed; a cam surface on at least one drawerpositioned to be engaged with said slider when said drawer is fullyinserted, the engagement of said cam surface causing vertical movementof said slider.